Why Balance Is Important to Your Health By Dr. Adam M. Cramer, PT, DPT
As the seasons change, the surfaces we walk on become more slippery and unpredictable. As a result, falls become more common — and the consequences can be serious. In fact, falls cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $500 million per year.(1) While falls can happen at any age, they are most common in adults 65 and older.(2) Furthermore, common causes include decreased strength and coordination, neuropathy of the feet, vision changes, low-light environments, and poor overall physical conditioning.
What Is Balance and Why Does It Matter?
Balance is your body’s ability to maintain control of a position while performing a task with minimal postural sway.(2) In other words, it’s involved in everything from sitting upright at a table, to standing on one leg, to riding a bike. As a result, good balance reduces energy demands, minimizes fatigue, and lowers your risk of injury. In order to move efficiently across a variety of activities, your body relies on both static and dynamic balance. For example, static balance is maintaining stability while standing still, while dynamic balance is maintaining stability while moving. One example of using dynamic visual feedback strategies includes using the Nintendo Wii balance board and gaming system with direct supervision from a licensed physical therapist.(3)
How Age Affects Your Balance
As we age, we gradually lose muscle strength, visual acuity, and sensory perception — all of which play a critical role in our ability to balance safely. Consequently, when mobility becomes compromised, the risk of falling increases significantly, which can lead to injury and hospitalization. However, the good news is that balance can improve — and it can improve quickly.
How Physical Therapy Improves Balance
Balance is a learned skill. Therefore, with the right physical therapy balance program, it can be maintained and significantly improved at any age. Specifically, balance exercises strengthen your proprioception — your body’s ability to sense its own position in space without relying on vision alone. In addition, targeted balance exercises build muscle, increase joint range of motion, and help distribute weight more evenly — all of which create greater overall stability and reduce fall risk.(4) Moreover, additional benefits include increased bone density, improved circulation, reduced dependence on assistive devices like canes or walkers, and improved brain function.(5) As a result, at MyoFit Clinic we design personalized balance programs tailored to each patient’s specific needs, helping you move with confidence and independence.
Don’t Wait Until a Fall Changes Your Life
If you want to keep doing the things you love — fishing, golfing, walking, enjoying nature — you have to invest in your balance and strength now. After all, it only takes one misstep to take those things away. So if you or a loved one is experiencing balance issues, our team at MyoFit Clinic in Middlefield, Ohio is here to help. Contact us today to schedule your evaluation and take the first step toward a safer, more active life.
Dr. Adam M. Cramer, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, balance specialist, and owner of MyoFit Clinic in Middlefield, Ohio.
Sources
- Vaught SL. Gait, Balance, and Fall Prevention. The Ochsner Journal. 2001;3(2):94-97.
- Howe TE, Rochester L, Jackson A, Banks PMH, Blair VA. Exercise for improving balance in older people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD004963. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004963.pub2.
- Hoda Salsabili et al. Dynamic stability training improves standing balance control in neuropathic patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development. 2011;48(7):775-786.
- Leah G. Concannon, Matthew J. Grierson, and Mark A. Harrast. Exercise in the Older Adult: From the Sedentary Elderly to the Master’s Athlete. Pm&R. 2012;4(11):833-839.
- Yves J. Gschwind et al. A best practice fall prevention exercise program to improve balance, strength/power, and psychosocial health in older adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Bmc Geriatrics. 2013.